By Kippy Marks–
When a candidate campaigns to become a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess, there is always a representation of colors that allows voters to know whom they are voting for. In most cases, candidates will also have a “catchphrase” and a coronation theme for their step-down.
We have taken a look at the last 46 Royal Houses and have gotten to know a little about each of them. Now, I am featuring the remaining Royal Houses with each leading us to the current Reigning Monarchs and to the candidates of The Grand Ducal Council’s 50th Reign. Here is a spotlight on the 47th and 48th Royal Houses:
2019–2020
The 47th Royal House of the Court of The Leather Rose of Sensuality and Strength
Grand Duke XLVI: The Glittering and Bare-Chested Leather Blue Bunny of Hope and Pleasure Timothy Valdivia
Colors: red, blue, black, white
Symbol: leather blue bunny
Catchphrase: “Spill the tea.”
Grand Duchess XLVII: The Garnet Mistress of Love, Unity, Service, and Tenacity Katherine Magdalene Rose
Colors: red, blue, black, white
Symbol: red pussy cat
Catchphrase: “Spill the tea.”
Coronation Theme: “Bordello at St. Basil Cathedral”
Their Court consisted of:
This Royal House continued in the tradition of setting records within the Grand Ducal Council. The first was that Katherine Magdalene Rose would be the first ever elected openly transgender Grand Duchess. The second is that their reign would last for 2 years. And who could have guessed that six months into their first reign the world would suddenly shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
When this unexpected shutdown happened, the Court of The Leather Rose of Sensuality and Strength confronted this situation head-on and transformed themselves and their court into a force of community action. The third point to note is that this Court, through both online and eventually in-person efforts, raised $146,000!
The Court was so strong thanks to the attributes of both the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess. They were prominent figures throughout their reign. They advocated for unequivocal sex positivity, a celebration of kink and fetish, and a desire to advocate strongly for sex workers, gender variant folks, and others marginalized within our own LGBTQI+communities.
I spoke with Grand Duchess Katherine for the San Francisco Bay Times about their historical reign. She said, “I was inspired by the dedication and camp attitude of the Ducal Council and their strong leadership in the community. Some of the past monarchs are some of the best known and strongest leaders in the community and I consider myself privileged to serve among them as the first openly transgender GD in our Council’s history.” She added, “I love my Grand Duke Timothy and am so thrilled we got to work together. The biggest memories, however, were serving for two years due to the pandemic—especially the creative ways we discovered to be a presence in the community during the shutdown. Online fundraisers, packing lunches for SIP hotels, delivering pantry foods to queens and artists out of work due to the pandemic were all powerful ways to show up and provide for our community. I also loved the Dukes of the Bay weekly variety show hosted by my Grand Duke Timothy and the GD of Alameda, Manny Santos. It was pure comedic gold.”
2021–2022
The 48th Royal House of The Panthers of Pride, Power, and Ferocity.
Grand Duke XVII Scott Rice, The Steadfast Steed of Serenity
Colors: black and red
Symbol: steadfast steed
Catchphrase: “Stay steady.”
Grand Duchess XLVIII: Bobby Friday, The Fierce Glittering Diamond and the Hologram
Colors: purple, black, magenta
Symbol: glittering diamond hologram
Catchphrase: “Sparkle everyday like it’s Friday.”
Coronation Theme: “The Black and White Ball at Grand Peterhof”
Their Court consisted of:
PPF (Pride, Power, Ferocity), coined by Grand Duchess Bobby Friday, is how we enter and remember this Royal House. The Panthers of PPF, led by their Grand Duchess and Grand Duke, raised over 100K during their reign. I spoke with Grand Duchess Bobby on behalf of the Bay Times about her motivation in running for Grand Duchess. She said, “I was inspired to get involved with the GDC after winning California Gold and becoming Miss Castro Country Club in 2020. I started my journey in drag by being of service in the community and with my experience as a titleholder becoming Grand Duchess would allow me to give back to my community in San Francisco that I love in a much larger way.”
She then reflected on her reign. “I have so many wonderful memories from my reign,” she said, “from Scott and I first walking together in Las Vegas, to the wonderful girls’ trip that my princesses Elsa Touche, Linda Summers, and I took to New York where we enjoyed Broadway shows, to being in full regalia in Times Square and getting to be a backup dancer in a rare performance by Queen Mother 1 Nicole the Great at the legendary Stonewall Inn.”
She added, “Pride was a very special memory for me, as our entire court worked so beautifully together to present our ‘Neon Jungle Rave’ themed float in the first Pride Parade in San Francisco coming back from a two-year break due to the pandemic. The energy and vibe were electric and our court really pulled together to create a really special moment I will always cherish. Everyone in our court had something to offer and they put their whole heart into what we were doing because, ultimately, we wanted to make a difference, have fun, and carry on the legacy of The Grand Ducal Council. We also did it with a touch of fabulous, fierce ferocity!”
Grand Duchess Bobby Friday can currently be seen hosting the Pop Up Drag Brunch at Beaux every second Saturday, Glamatron at the Lookout every third Thursday, and a Drag Brunch at 620 Jones every third Saturday.
The Steadfast Steed of Serenity and Grand Duke of the PPF Panther’s is Scott Rice. Scott began his journey with the GDC in 2017, when he was a Royal Baby in the 45th Royal House. Then he became Prince Royale in the 46th Royal House, then Royal Bunny in the 47th Royal House.
Regarding his inspiration for running for Grand Duke, he said, “Being involved during Jodi and Tressa’s year was amazing for me; it actually changed the trajectory of my life. But it was being Prince Royale to Grand Duchess MGM Grande and Grand Duke Ken Harper that really inspired me to run for Grand Duke. I wanted to take the opportunity to help out my community on a much larger scale than what was previously available to me.”
In terms of his reign experience, he shared, “No matter what was happening, good or bad, I could always count on Bobby to say what needed to be said or do what needed to be done to get us through to the next event. We really worked well as a team and we were able to create a powerhouse of a court/family together and really conquer the year. Thank you, Grand Duchess Bobby Friday, for not only being one of my best friends, but also for being a stellar partner as Grand Duchess.”
On September 22, 2023, from 6 pm–11 pm, the Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco will celebrate 50 years of Camp and Fundraising. The celebration will take place at the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. https://www.sfducal.org/
Kippy Marks is Grand Duke XL of The Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco. He is the first ever elected African-American Grand Duke.
Celebrating 50 Years of the Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco
Published on September 7, 2023
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